In-Season vibe from Vegas; U.S. Soccer's big moves; MLS' championship weekend and people on the move.
In-Season vibe from Vegas; U.S. Soccer's big moves; MLS' championship weekend and people on the move.
Abe Madkour:
US Soccer plans to submit its joint bid with the Mexican Football Federation to host the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup by today's deadline, by Friday. Brazil will also bid, as will a three nation coalition of Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. So a decision by FIFA is likely by late May 2024.
And this is your morning Buzzcast for Friday, December 8th. Good morning, I'm Abe Madkour. Thanks for listening to the Buzzcast.
I was leaving Las Vegas on Thursday, and there was a definite buzz in the city as the NBA was set to tip off it's two semifinals for its In-Season Tournament. It marked the first time the NBA had held regular season games in Las Vegas. And these games were big. If you watched them last night, there was a production quality about them at T-Mobile Arena. You had Adam Silver sitting with Bob Iger. You had stars court side like Dr. J. And after watching some of the action last night, I am sure the NBA is feeling good and relieved.
Why relieved? Well, the first game on Thursday night, Pacers vs. Bucks, great game, but it felt like a first round NCAA tournament contest. Remember it started at 2:00 PM Las Vegas time. There seemed to be a number of empty seats. Damian Lillard of the Bucks said playing in the early game felt like a USA basketball game in the summer because the crowd was so neutral. But Las Vegas is a Lakers town, and T-Mobile Arena seemed to have a lot more energy for the second game on TNT. LeBron James carried the Lakers, and the league has to be thrilled, the Lakers are in Saturday's final, and there should be great energy in the building on Saturday night.
Of course, there are still a lot of doubters about the In-Season Tournament, but it's hard to deny it's met or exceeded expectations. Fans and players seemed intrigued enough to give this a chance and the courts have become a talking point. And there just seems to be more attention around the NBA. Players certainly seem eager to win the $500,000 bonus if they take home the cup tournament, and they seem to have played pretty hard. So there is no doubt a new tradition has started. The In-Season Tournament has been called Adam Silver's baby, and he must be feeling like a proud dad walking around Las Vegas.
Speaking of Saturday night, MLS Cup is Saturday, as LAFC looks to defend its title and become the first team since the Galaxy to win back-to-back titles. The Galaxy did it in 2011 and 2012. Columbus will host Saturday's match for the second time in three years. This is a big coming out party for the Haslam family, hosting an MLS cup at Lower.com Field, which they built a few years ago. There will be some star power, Will Ferrell, Magic Johnson, Mia Hamm, Nomar Garciaparra are all LAFC co-owners, they are expected to be in the house on Saturday.
Here's another fun story. LAFC's ownership is flying the entire organization, families and guests, to Columbus for MLS Cup. That means about 400 people requiring two charter flights. So a good move there by LAFC.
And this will cap a strong year for Major League Soccer, which had its highest attendance in league history, as nearly 12 million bands attended MLS matches, and the leagues per game average, around 22,000 per game, was also the highest in league history. So MLS drops the curtain on its season on Saturday.
Let's stay with soccer, because US Soccer has selected a 200-acre site in Fayetteville, Georgia for its new $200 million plus national training center. The site is about 25 miles south of downtown Atlanta. All 27 of US Soccer's national team will train at this facility. The facility will also be the US Soccer Federation's business headquarters. It will relocate from Chicago. Coca-Cola is a founding partner of this facility. And remember, this received $50 million in support from Falcons' owner, Arthur Blank. Arthur Blank, with visions to make Atlanta the soccer capital in the United States, and bringing us soccer from Chicago to outside Atlanta is part of that plan. So a big move here by US Soccer.
Let's shift to golf. Jon Rahm, the 29-year-old Spaniard, he is joining LIV Golf. This deal is a big deal. It is believed to be longer than three years. It's worth more than $300 million. It will include an ownership stake for John Rahm in a new LIV Golf team. Like I said, a huge move. And LIV Golf is recruiting additional PGA Tour players to fill out the roster of Rahm's team.
So Rahm's decision to join LIV Golf comes as the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund are still attempting to finalize a deal that would combine their commercial interest into a new for-profit entity called PGA Tour Enterprises. A deal deadline was set for December 31st. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monaghan, and Yasir Al Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund, are scheduled to meet next week.
So there's all sorts of speculation about how Rahm's deal impacts these negotiations. Does this put more pressure on the two sides to complete a deal? Or does LIV Golf now have comfort that it could continue even without a deal with the PGA Tour? You don't sign John Rahm if you feel that your series won't have a long-term future. So a lot of implications here. Jon Rahm's move to LIV is somewhat of a surprise, because for months he has expressed his commitment to stay with the PGA Tour. So more uncertainty surrounding professional golf.
Let's end the Buzzcast around people. Three big names today. First, Oak View Group has named Francesca Bodie as its new chief operating officer. This is a new position, and a key position as the company has grown to more than 40,000 full and part-time employees following a run of acquisitions and new business wins over the last few years.
Now, Francesca Bodie will report to Tim Leiweke, that's her father, and she will oversee the company's day-to-day operations. But she'll also focus on integration and efficiencies and establishing systems, aim to connect the company's new acquisitions and new clients in a manageable way. So this is a big job. She knows the company. She was president of business development. And she's been a key leader in the company's development of seven arenas in just a year and a half. She'll also play a major role in Oak View Group's biggest project yet, that is a $10 billion resort, casino, and arena project in Las Vegas. Francesca Bodie was a 40 under 40 honoree in 2020.
Meanwhile, American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco will retire at the end of May, at the end of this upcoming academic year. Mike Aresco has been such an important sports leader over decades. He really put the American on the map. He did two major media rights deals with ESPN. He has long been the most vocal advocate for the Power Six. Remember, he was first hired as Big East Commissioner in 2012, and then oversaw the transformation into the American. He's also played a key role in the college football playoff.
He will remain as the Americans Commissioner through the end of May, and don't overlook the totality of his career. Mike Aresco accomplished so much before even going into college sports. He managed college sports rights at ESPN, and was a key leader as CBS Sports built out its sports portfolio. Well-regarded and well-respected, Mike Aresco moving on from the American at the end of May.
And a hat tip to a longtime friend and very effective leader, as Charlotte Hornets President Fred Whitfield is leaving his job with the organization. He is going to address family and health concerns. Fred Whitfield has been the face of the Hornets for almost 20 years, and he brought such stability and such respect to the organization. He's been a key leader in major issues impacting the state of North Carolina for years. And he became team president and led the organization's business and community efforts beginning in 2006 when the franchise was then known as the Bobcats. And he's worked really hard with Michael Jordan, who is his longtime friend and business partner, to turn this organization around. And while the Hornets haven't won on the court, the Hornets have been very strong on the business side and in the community. Now, Fred Whitfield has been battling throat cancer. He seems to be doing very well. He's also caring for his mother in his hometown of Greensboro.
This comes, of course, as the Hornets have new ownership in Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, but Fred Whitfield leaves the Hornets, and he leaves a very successful legacy in the Charlotte and North Carolina community. So well done, Fred Whitfield.
And that is your morning Buzzcast for Friday, December 8th. I'm Abe Madkour. Thanks for listening to the Buzzcast. Stay healthy, be good to each other. I'll speak to you on Monday.